DSN BRAVO AWARDS:

In appreciation of those companies that lead the way in offering an unparalleled opportunity for individuals to start their own businesses through shared connections, Direct Selling News honored the group during its eighth annual DSN Global 100 Celebration. The awards ceremony and dinner, held April 19 at the InterContinental in Dallas, served as the backdrop for the unveiling of our exclusive ranking of the top revenue-generating companies in direct selling.

DSN’s Lauren Lawley Head and John Fleming hosted nearly 400 executives from around the world. In fact, the Global 100 list represents companies based in 17 countries this year and is a collective effort to show the impact and potential of the $183.7 billion direct selling industry.

“Each year, the DSN Global 100 gives us an opportunity to recognize the leading companies in direct selling today,” said Lauren Lawley Head, Publisher and Editor in Chief of Direct Selling News. “The companies on the list represent a wide range of products and services, but they share a passion for developing a community of independent business owners who share those products and services with customers in their personal networks. It is a unique and powerful distribution channel.”

Fleming added, “The announcement and reveal of the top 100 Direct Selling Companies in the world is a most exciting moment in our year! Congratulations are always extended to those companies who are listed.” He continued, “The DSN Global 100 is not a competition, it is a listing. The privately held companies who voluntarily submitted their certified revenue for the previous year contribute to the transparency needed to constantly inform a global audience of the impact direct selling companies are making on economies and individual lives around the world.”

For the fifth consecutive year, Ada, Michigan-based Amway claimed the top spot as the No. 1 direct seller in the world, with $8.8 billion in revenue in 2016. The company is truly a global giant, with a large portfolio of brands—including the best-selling nutritional brand in the world, Nutrilite, skincare brand Artistry, as well as the XL Energy Drink business. Amway does business in over 100 markets through more than 3 million independent Amway business owners.

In attendance and accepting the award on behalf of Amway was Jackie Nickel, Chief Marketing Officer of the Americas.

“We’re truly honored to be recognized as a leader in this great industry,” Nickel said. “We credit such a privilege to our millions of Amway Business Owners worldwide, who are at the heart of our business.”

Special Guests

DSN welcomed very special guests to the dinner, esteemed members of Direct Selling Association’s Hall of Fame and the Direct Selling Education Foundation’s Circle of Honor: Charlie Orr, CEO of Canada’s Immunotec; Brian Connolly, CEO of AdvoCare; Stan Fredrick, Chairman of the Board, Mannatech Inc.; and our own John Fleming.

Also in the audience was President of the Direct Sellers Association of Canada James Smith and Chairman of the Direct Selling Education Foundation Dave Wentz.

DSN Global 100

In all, the Global 100 companies achieved more than $82 billion in net sales in 2016, up a fraction from 2015.

The Top 10 companies achieved $40.53 billion in revenue, with the total number of salespeople at about 24 million. It is also a testimony to the power and strength of the direct selling channel that a number of companies reached milestones in 2016. Ten companies grew $100 million or more last year, and 22 companies each reported annual revenue of $1 billion or more.

Jackie Nickel, Chief Marketing Officer of the Americas at Amway, accepts the night’s top prize for the company, which placed No. 1 on the Global 100.

By region, there were 46 companies from North America in the Global 100; five from South America; nine from Europe/Africa; and 40 from Asia/ Asia-Pacific. A total of 17 countries were represented on the list—Brazil, China, Colombia, Cyprus, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Companies appearing in the ranking for the first time included Quanjian from China (No. 8); Marketing Personal from Colombia (No. 81); Global Ventures Partners from the U.S. (No. 92); and Shinsei from China (No. 99). Companies returning to the list were JoyMain from China (No. 13); SUN HOPE from China (No. 23); LegalShield from the U.S. (No. 43); Faberlic from Russia (No. 48); Merro International from China (No. 56); KK Assuran from Japan (No. 64); New Image Group from New Zealand (No. 86); Vestige Marketing from India (No. 91); Immunotec Research from Canada (No. 96); Nefful from Singapore (No. 97); and Captain Tortue Group from France (No. 98).

The Bravo Awards

Each year, the DSN Global 100 celebration endeavors to recognize an industry executive who embodies exceptional leadership qualities that have propelled his or her company to extraordinary new heights. Whether it is inspirational vision that has built solid corporate cultures, innovation that has strengthened the company infrastructure, or creativity that has created new opportunities for independent business owners, our Bravo Leadership Award aims to acknowledge such achievements of a direct selling leader.

This year, one recipient for the Bravo Leadership Award was simply not enough, for there were two remarkable stories that unfolded. The first Bravo Leadership Award was presented to Jim and Kathy Coover, co-founders of Isagenix and a leadership team that has grown their business 247 percent over the past five years, propelling the company into the Top 30 of the DSN Global 100 with $924.3 million in annual revenue. The team recently celebrated their 15th year in business

“As leaders, I think we have an incredible opportunity to step up and demonstrate to the world what a powerful distribution channel we are, and more importantly, what a powerful agent of change we can be,” Jim said. “We have always tried to stay true to our motto of ‘if it isn’t right for our associates and customers, it isn’t right for the company.’ ”

The second recipient of this year’s Bravo Leadership Award was Mark Pentecost, Founder and CEO of It Works! His wellness company did not enter the Global 100 ranking until 2012, when it debuted at $200 million, but over the past four years, the team at this company has grown its revenue 274 percent, reaching No. 33 with $686 million.

Debbie Coffey, who accepted Avon Products’ award for its No. 2 ranking on the Global 100, reinforced the importance of companies helping people change their lives.

Leading It Works! to exponential growth during the past few years was reason enough to recognize Pentecost; however, the way in which this former math teacher and basketball coach has taught his team to “live on the offensive” is truly inspirational. As he shares with the audience his personal—and victorious—battle with cancer, he tells a very compelling story of the individual courage to face life’s toughest challenges head on, while doing so with an abundance of integrity and grace

“My team had big plans for 2016, having to deal with cancer wasn’t one of them,” he said. “We can’t plan for every obstacle that is thrown our way, but we can put the team in place and surround ourselves with the best people. When something is thrown your way, you have the support to handle it.”

Pentecost still has big plans for It Works! and for how he and his team can impact the world by being positive change makers. “Good is having a strong company. Great is increasing profits or opening new markets. But legendary is changing the lives of people who need it the most,” he said.

Youth enhancement brand Jeunesse received the Bravo Growth Award for its increase in annual sales by $1 billion over a two-year period—from approximately $400 million in 2014 to $1.4 billion in 2016. It debuted on the Global 100 in 2012 with $65 million in sales, breaking into the top 20 of the Direct Selling News Global 100 list in 2015 and advancing to the No. 14 spot this year with $1.41 billion in net sales. Based in Lake Mary, Florida, the company sells its anti-aging products and nutritional supplements in 140 global markets.

Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis accepted the award and commented, “We are pleased to have been chosen by Direct Selling News as their 2017 Bravo Growth Award recipient and appreciate this meaningful recognition. In addition, it is truly an honor to be listed among the top 15 companies in our industry, and we are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our Jeunesse family from across the globe, who we congratulate for making this accomplishment possible.”

Impacting Lives for Better World

Debbie Coffey, Vice President, Corporate Communications, New Avon LLC, who accepted Avon Products’ award for its No. 2 ranking on the Global 100 with sales of $5.70 billion in 2016, reinforced the importance of companies helping people change their lives. She is also an Avon Foundation board member.

“Thank you Direct Selling News for this recognition of Avon Products, Inc. performance in 2016. We owe our success to our 6 million Avon Representatives around the world who are changing their lives and the lives of those around them through the Avon opportunity. They are our greatest motivation and inspiration,” said Coffey.

“2016 was an exciting year for us at Avon, It was our 130th anniversary, and, as an Avon Foundation Board Member, I am very proud to share that it was the year we reached $1 billion raised globally for women’s causes,” added Coffey, who is also an Avon Foundation board member. “We are so proud to give women living with breast cancer and domestic violence help for today and hope for tomorrow.”

Jackie Nickel, who accepted Amway’s award for No. 1 direct seller in the world, spoke too about purpose and the efforts the company takes to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

“This award is a testament to the work we do each and every day to help people live better lives, discover their potential and achieve their goals,” she said.

The following companies sponsored tables at the DSN Global 100 Celebration:

Click here to order the March 2017 issue in which this article appeared.

DSN is thrilled to showcase the most outstanding young professionals working in direct selling companies today. These honorees represent all aspects of the business—from technology and marketing to finance and field services—and represent the fine talent of tomorrow. We know it is imperative to nurture and encourage the young leaders in our channel in order to secure the brightest future possible for all.

These dynamic young leaders are broadening the scope of the companies they work for as well as our entire channel of distribution. Based upon the enthusiastic nominations of the honorees presented here, the future is bright indeed. The program was open to all full-time professionals working in active direct selling companies who turned 40 years old on or after Jan. 1, 2017. The honorees are presented in alphabetical order with each profile including the thoughts and words of the honoree’s respective company.

Anti-aging products seller Jeunesse Global has announced the opening of Jeunesse West, a second corporate outpost located in the Salt Lake City area.

City officials and top company executives were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony held March 9 at the new office, which currently houses about 150 employees. The building’s modern industrial design, comprising 30,250 square feet, earned the 2015 Excellence in Masonry Design Award from the Utah Masonry Council.

“I know it will provide a warm home for the corporate team that works so hard to support our field leaders around the world,” Scott Lewis, Chief Visionary Officer, said at the unveiling of Jeunesse West. “Today is another milestone in our company’s history, and I am excited for all we are going to accomplish in the future.”

In six years of business Jeunesse has undergone tremendous growth, earning two consecutive rankings on the Inc. 5000/500, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The company generated annual sales of $1 billion in 2015, and in the same year acquired a 130,000-square-foot corporate facility, currently undergoing renovations, in Heathrow, Florida. Jeunesse West will serve as a counterpart to the company’s East Coast headquarters.

For the first time ever, Direct Selling News has partnered with the employee engagement experts at Quantum Workplace to identify the Best Places to Work in Direct Selling. The contest was open to all direct selling companies headquartered in North America and having at least 50 employees.

The 2016 honorees for the Best Places to Work in Direct Selling are listed below in alphabetical order. All of these companies are equal honorees and are recognized collectively as the Best Places to Work within the direct selling channel.

Jeunesse has set a new benchmark for direct selling companies looking to achieve billion-dollar revenue. The skincare and nutrition company reports that annual sales surpassed $1 billion in 2015, its sixth year of business.

The husband-and-wife team of Randy Ray and Wendy Lewis, CEO and COO, respectively, founded Jeunesse in 2009. In 2015 the company acquired a 130,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in Heathrow, Florida, and opened a “Jeunesse West” facility in Draper, Utah, with 150 staff. Thanks to an early emphasis on building an international infrastructure, Jeunesse sells its anti-aging products—collectively dubbed the Youth Enhancement System (Y.E.S.)—through independent distributors in more than 100 countries.

“Our success is the direct result of the hard work, professionalism and dedication of our amazing network of Jeunesse Distributors around the world,” Lewis said in a statement. “I congratulate each and every one of them for helping Jeunesse reach this important milestone.”

Jeunesse is one of several young companies powering through the ranks of the DSN Global 100, an annual list of the top revenue-generating direct selling companies in the world. On the 2015 list, Jeunesse shared the No. 38 spot with home fragrance brand Scentsy, both companies having posted revenue of $419 million in 2014. The list includes just 16 companies with revenue exceeding $1 billion, half of them U.S. firms.

The Inc. 5000/500, which ranks America’s fastest-growing private companies, also served as an early indicator of remarkable growth at Jeunesse. The company made its debut on the list in 2014, breaking into the top 10 percent, known as the Inc. 500, at No. 258. In 2015, Jeunesse ranked No. 564 with three-year growth of 811 percent.

Management regularly points to the company’s technology prowess as a primary driver of growth. In the creation of Jeunesse, Ray and Lewis brought to bear their own expertise in the technology sector, including the fields of medical software and computer hardware. The company’s tailor-made technology includes the “J-World” marketing system, comprised of back office, social and mobile components to help distributors build their businesses.

“Investing in the right technological infrastructure from the beginning while expanding globally has allowed us to reach this level and positions us to continue to grow from $1 billion and beyond,” said Ray.

Click here to order the October 2015 issue in which this article appeared or click here to download it to your mobile device.

Direct selling in the United States is undergoing a transformation fueled by innovative approaches rooted in classic business practices. The power generators leading the way for direct selling as a channel of distribution can be found in what Direct Selling News has identified as the upper middle market: those companies with annual sales roughly between $300 million and $1 billion.

Because most direct selling companies are privately held and many decline to disclose their financial results, it is difficult to create a definitive list. Our research honed in on a group of more than 30 U.S.-based companies, most of which are experiencing significant growth. Some of them are on the cusp of reaching $300 million, and some likely have recently passed the $1 billion mark. But together they are critical to direct selling’s competitiveness and future. They tend to be among the fastest growing when it comes to revenue, and they account for a large slice of the job creation pie.

An in-depth analysis of this group reveals a high level of consistency when it comes to executing on key common strengths. The ability of these companies to focus in on products, customers, serving their salesforce and creating a culture that reinforces a sense of family put them on track to shape the future of direct selling in the U.S.

Companies emphasize each area in different ways, but in general these leaders:

Harness data. The upper middle market knows how to mine the data it has to gain insights that lead to more and better sales. Executives train leaders and consultants to use data to open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

Stay true to classic business practices. Technology and social media do not replace person-to-person interactions, they complement them. Upper mid-market firms build relationships with customers that maintain the consultant-client affiliation but also allow the customer to have a connection with the company itself.

Use compensation plans that span all levels of engagement. To cultivate trust and long-term relationships, comp plans are created to appeal to new customers, product enthusiasts, fierce advocates and influencers—all the way up to the entrepreneur who is all in. Payments also follow a more modern schedule.

Foster an entrepreneurial spirit. Consultants are allowed and encouraged to go far with personal marketing (think YouTube videos) while maintaining brand identity. Companies deliver superior and frequent training and messaging to make this happen.

Maintain a laser-focus on selling. The sale of a product, a group experience or an opportunity all lead to more sales, which generate positive results.

No matter the specific approach, one thing all upper middle market companies excel at is …

Jeunesse Global, a fast-growing marketer of nutrition and personal-care products, has appointed industry veteran Meredith Berkich as President of its North American business.

Berkich began her 25-year direct selling career as a field sales leader, before taking on leadership roles at a succession of companies. In a statement, Jeunesse describes Berkich as “equal parts strategist and enthusiastic coach,” a testament to her focus on strategic planning and salesforce development.

“We are pleased and excited to welcome Meredith to the Jeunesse family. Her knowledge and expertise will be of great value as we continue to develop our presence in the region,” Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis said in a statement.

“This company’s compelling vision, high level of integrity, and appreciation for the salesforce fully align with my core values,” said Berkich. “I am eager to contribute to the growth of this incredible community and add value to countless lives across the globe.”

Today, Inc. magazine announced its 34th annual Inc. 500|5000 List, and the exclusive ranking once again features several direct selling brands. The Inc. 5000 is a list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, with the Inc. 500 representing a special ranking of companies in the top 10 percent.

Eight direct selling companies are included in this year’s list, and they represent a wide variety of categories: consumer products, health, travel & hospitality and energy. The growth increase spans an even greater range from a very respectable 125 percent (Beachbody) to a whopping 16,617 percent (Nerium). Nerium has only been in business since August 2011, making this percentage growth number even more impressive.

DSN Announces the 2015 North America 50!

This marks the sixth year for the Global 100 list of top direct selling companies in the world, and we would not be Direct Selling News if we did not continually strive to raise the bar.

That is why we are pleased to share with you a new component of the project this year: The North America 50. As a subset of the Global 100, this list draws attention to the most significant players in one of the world’s largest direct selling markets.

As DSN embarks on the annual research for the Global 100, we continue to refine the process as we identify the largest companies and acknowledge their achievements while bringing attention to the magnitude of the direct selling industry as a whole. Within that context, the impact that North American companies have on the global marketplace as well as on those that buy and sell through this channel cannot be overstated.

The following contains the North America 50 ranking for the 2015 DSN Global 100 (based on 2014 revenues). Both lists will be published in the June issue of Direct Selling News.

Two prominent brands in the health and wellness segment are joining forces in a strategic acquisition announced this week.

Skincare and supplement manufacturer Jeunesse Global has completed the acquisition of MonaVie LLC, a nutrition company that markets juice blends, energy drinks and shake mixes. The acquisition includes the MonaVie-backed mynt brand, which launched in 2014 as a platform to attract a younger generation of tech-savvy, community-minded entrepreneurs.

It’s the second acquisition for Orlando, Florida-based Jeunesse. In 2011 the company acquired GreatLife Intl., another direct seller in the health and wellness niche.

Jeunesse’s leadership was not aggressively looking to acquire, Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis told DSN, but they found the brands compatible in more than just the shared French origin of their names. The companies have developed similar cultures and established global brands. MonaVie is operating in key markets such as Brazil, which Jeunesse has targeted as a strategic next step in its international expansion. Through its mynt brand, MonaVie is also actively courting young entrepreneurs.

“From a strategic point of view, we’ve been trying to come up with strategies to penetrate Gen Y and attract a younger demographic as well,” said Lewis. Jeunesse has announced plans to launch the mynt brand in Europe this summer and in Japan soon thereafter.

Another factor that came into consideration was the loyalty MonaVie has inspired among its sales leaders. “We respected the fact that a lot of the top leaders who have been there since the heyday are still there,” Lewis noted. “There is a lot of attrition, but when you look at the top distributors, a lot of them have remained loyal.”

Salt Lake City-based MonaVie launched in 2005 and soon experienced exponential growth. After posting three-year revenue growth of 5,883 percent, the company appeared on the 2009 Inc. 500, an annual list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. MonaVie ranked No. 18, with $854.9 million in 2008 revenue.

In the following years, MonaVie experienced growing pains and incurred considerable debt, which Jeunesse has cleared as part of the acquisition agreement. The company has not disclosed further details of the transaction.

“This is an exciting step forward for MonaVie and our distributors,” MonaVie President Mauricio Bellora said in a statement. “Our diligent work over the past two years has resulted in a right-sized company with innovative products and an efficient sourcing platform.”

Under the Jeunesse umbrella, the combined businesses represent a network of more than 4 million distributors in more than 100 countries. The two brands will carry on business as usual, maintaining their respective product lines and distributor structures, as they undergo a gradual integration.

“We’re not in any rush,” Lewis emphasized. “We want to get the company profitable, make sure they have the support to grow and see what happens.”